Cage frame

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a post assembly ( 10 ) for use in constructing a cage or enclosure ( 20 ). The posts assembly ( 10 ) of the present invention provide a structural member for forming a cage ( 20 ) which can be used in a variety of situations. The posts ( 10 ) can be installed onto any trailer irrespective of their size or alternatively the enclosure can be free standing. The posts ( 10 ) can also accommodate walls of various heights and thicknesses. In a preferred embodiment the post assembly ( 10 ) includes a first and second longitudinally extending body portions ( 66 ) and ( 68 ) having respective passageways ( 76 ), an arm ( 40 ) adapted to engage coaxially aligned passageways ( 76 ) of respective first and second longitudinally extending body portions, wherein the post assembly ( 10 ) is adapted to releasably engage adjacent wall portions ( 22 ) such that the walls portions ( 22 ) are held in a substantially upright position.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a post assembly for use in forming a cage or enclosure. The invention has been developed primarily for use within a trailer and will be described hereinafter with reference to this application. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this particular field of use and the post could be used to form a cage within the rear of a utility type vehicle or used to construct a free standing enclosure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Semi permanent and permanent cage structures are used for various applications. Cages can be used to house animals such as livestock or within trailers to assist in haulage.

A conventional trailer is a useful haulage means that can be detachably coupled to a powered vehicle. Its ability to be detached from the vehicle enables trailers to be used infrequently with family vehicles or regularly by tradesman and the like. The most popular type of trailer towed behind passenger vehicles is the open box type design. Variations on this design are the fully enclosed type trailers and open top cage type, both of which are essentially constructed onto an open box type trailer. Typically, to construct these types of caged trailers a frame is welded onto the tray of the open trailer. Sides, and possibly a roof, can then be attached thereto. All these particular types of trailers have their own unique advantages.

The cage type trailers are popular as they are excellent for transporting bulky items, garden waste or boxes. The cage type trailers are also popular because they are useful for transporting tall items which need to remain upright, such as whitegoods, whilst the fully enclosed trailer provides a weatherproof transportation means. The difficulty with the fully enclosed type trailers is that they can increase wind resistance because of their height. The resultant drag decreases the fuel efficiency of the vehicle towing the trailer. Both the cage and enclosure types of trailers have restricted access, typically through a rear door or opening.

The cage and fully enclosed type trailers also have less application then the open type design and therefore people typically hire these types of trailers on the rare occasions that they are required. Some people convert their open trailers to cage or enclosure types, however the problem with converting the trailer is that once done it can be very difficult to convert it back again. Trailers are also of various dimensions and therefore it is not viable to produce a ‘one size fits all’ cage that can be easily installed onto an open box type trailer.

Conventional trailer cages are typically not able to be removed from the back of a trailer or utility and are usually custom-built. Likewise other cage structures are not able to be easily dismantled when not in use.

Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in this field.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome at least some of the aforementioned problems or provide the public with a useful alternative.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide for a post assembly for use in constructing a dismantleable enclosure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore in one form of the invention there is proposed a post assembly for use in the construction of an enclosure, including:

a body portion having a longitudinally extending axis; and an arm, adapted to engage the body portion, movable along said longitudinally extending axis; wherein the post assembly is adapted to releasably engage at least one wall portion such that the wall portion is held in a substantially upright position.

In preference the arm slidably engages the body portion.

Preferably the body portion includes a passageway adapted to accommodate the arm.

In preference the body portion includes a base plate. The base plate includes an attachment means adapted to facilitate the attachment of the post assembly to a surface on which the enclosure is mounted.

Preferably the body portion include engagement means for facilitating the attachment of the wall portions thereto.

More preferably the body portion includes two longitudinally extending channels into which the walls portions are mounted.

Most preferably the channels include apertures to facilitate the securing of the wall portions within the channels.

Preferably a free end of the arm includes a cap.

In preference the cap includes at least one flange adapted to engage the upper extremity of the wall portions.

More preferably the at least one flange includes attachment means adapted to facilitate the securing of the wall portions thereto.

Additionally the at least one flange includes attachment means adapted to facilitate the securing of a roof thereto.

Preferably the post includes a locking means adapted to retain the arm in a fixed arrangement with respect to the body portion.

In a further form of the invention there is proposed a post assembly for use in the construction of an enclosure, including:

a first longitudinally extending body portion having at least one passageway; a second longitudinally extending body portion having at least one passageway; and an arm adapted to engage coaxially aligned passageways of respective first and second longitudinally extending body portions; wherein the post assembly is adapted to releasably engage adjacent wall portions such that the wall portions are held in a substantially upright position.

Preferably the first and second longitudinally extending body portions are adapted to hingeably engage each other around an axis which corresponds to the coaxially aligned passageways.

In preference the arm is a longitudinally extending shaft which is adapted to slidably engage the coaxially aligned passageways of the first and second longitudinally extending body portions.

More preferably the first and second longitudinally extending body portions are adapted to pivot around a shaft having a circular cross-section.

Most preferably the first and second longitudinally extending body portions include corresponding outwardly extending first and second channels adapted to accommodate adjacent wall portions. The first and second longitudinally extending body portions are movable between a first position, wherein an opening of the first channel is substantially perpendicular to the opening of the second channel, and a second position wherein an opening of the first and second channels are substantially parallel and opposing.

Preferably a free end of the arm includes two independent flange portions.

In preference the two independent flange portions are adapted to rotate with respect to the arm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several implementations of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the advantages and principles of the invention. In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an enclosure mounted within a conventional trailer illustrating a first embodiment of the support post of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the post of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cage of FIG. 1 with the rear wall removed;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the support post of the present invention in a closed arrangement;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the post of FIG. 4 in an open arrangement;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the post of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an enclosure constructed using the post of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the enclosure of FIG. 7 in use;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an octagon shaped enclosure utilising the posts of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an enclosure with solid or opaque sides utilising the posts of FIG. 4;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an elongated trailer cage utilising the posts of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings. Although the description includes exemplary embodiments, other embodiments are possible, and changes may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same and like parts.

Referring to the drawings for a more detailed description, a support post assembly 10 is illustrated, demonstrating by way of examples, arrangements in which the principles of the present invention may be employed. FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of the support post 10 which is positioned at corners 12, 14, 16 and 18 to form a frame for a cage or enclosure 20. The walls 22 of the cage 20 which extend therein between can be constructed from any rigid or semi-rigid sheet material.

The sheet material can be in the form of rectangular wooden lattice or any other suitable material. Such material is commonly available through hardware and gardening stores and different material can be used depending upon the application. For instance, the walls 22 can be constructed from, but not limited to, chip board, wooden lattice, rigid wire lattice, sheet metal, fibreglass or plastic.

The enclosure 20, as illustrated in FIG. 1, is positioned within a conventional open box trailer 24 which includes a tray 26, wheels 28 and a coupling frame 30 for connection to a powered vehicle. It should however be appreciated by the reader that the invention is not limited to use only within trailers. The invention could also be used in the tray of a utility type vehicle, in the rear of a 4WD or station wagon. It can also be used as a free standing enclosure for livestock or pets.

The post 10 includes a body 32 having two longitudinally extending channels 34 and 36, a base portion 38 adapted to fixably engage tray 26, an arm 40 which is adapted to slidably engage body 32, a top portion 42 attached to the free end of arm 40 and a locking member 44 adapted to secure the arm 40 in position. The posts 10 thereby secure the walls 22 in a fixed spatial arrangement during use. In this first embodiment the channels 34 and 36 are in a fixed arrangement such that the channels are located along substantially perpendicular planes.

As further illustrated in FIG. 2 the base portion 38 includes apertures 46 which are engaged by bolts (not shown) to thereby secure the posts 10 to the tray 26 of the trailer 24. The longitudinally extending channels 34 and 36 are configured to accommodate walls or varying thickness and include a series of apertures 48 whereby the walls 22 are able to be secured within longitudinally extending channels 34 and 36 during use. It is envisaged that the locking member 44 is in the form of a wing nut arrangement comprises a lever 50 that is adapted to engage a nut 52. Rotation of lever 50 facilitates securing of the arm 40 by way of frictional engagement as is well known in the art. It should however be appreciated that other types of locking means could be used.

The arm 40 is adapted to engage passageway 54 and is held at a desired height by way of locking means 44. The top portion 42 which is attached to the free end of arm 40 comprises two outwardly pointing U-shaped portions 56 and 58, which are located along planes corresponding to longitudinally extending channels 34 and 36, and are adapted to engage the upper portion of adjacent walls 22. The U-shaped portions include a plurality of apertures 60 which can be used to secure the walls 22. The top portion 42 includes a cap 62 which prevents the arm 40 being retracted below the upper extremity of the sheet material that forms walls 22. The cap 62 further includes an aperture 64 which can be used to secure a lid or cover (not shown) on the enclosure 20.

It will now be appreciated that the post assembly can be securely fixed into position or temporally installed as desired.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the rear wall may be removed to allow easier access to the interior of the cage 20. Each channel 34 and 36 may include a leaf spring (not shown) adapted to secure walls 22 of various thicknesses. Likewise top portion 42 may also include a leaf spring.

In a preferred embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 6, the body 32 comprises two cooperating individual segments 66 and 68 adapted to rotatably engage each other. Each member includes a respective base plate 70 and 72 which includes an aperture 74. The individual segments 66 and 68 include passageway portions 76 which when coaxially aligned form an interlocking single passageway adapted to slidably accommodate arm 40, as illustrated in FIG. 5.

The top portion 42 comprises two independent flange portions 78 and 80 which include apertures 82. The apertures 82 can be used to either fix the wall portions 22 or a roof (not shown) by way of screws or bolts.

The arm 40 acts as an axle around which the individual segments 66 and 68 are able to move in a hinge type arrangement. The body 32 can be moved between a first position, as illustrated in FIG. 4, wherein the planes of the channels 34 and 36 are substantially perpendicular, to a second position, as illustrated in FIG. 5, wherein channels 34 and 36 are positioned along substantially the same plane. The reader would appreciate that this means the same hinged post 10 can be used at a corner of an enclosure or along the side of the enclosure to join adjacent wall portions 22 as illustrated in FIG. 11.

The post 10 further includes a locating member 84 to ensure that when assembled the passageway portions 76 do not disengage.

As illustrated in FIG. 7 the use of a hinge type post 10 means that one wall 22 of the enclosure can be moved to act as a door. This would be particularly useful when the enclosure 20 is being used in a trailer, as illustrated in FIG. 8 or when livestock is being accommodated. Similarly due to the hinged arrangement of the posts 10 different polygon shaped enclosures can be constructed. For instance, as illustrated in FIG. 9 an octagon shaped enclosure could be constructed.

Different types of material can be used to form the walls 22 of the enclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 10 opaque or semi transparent sheet material could be used. Semi transparent sheet material could be used to build temporary glass houses.

The post assembly 10 can also be attached to the sides of the trailer or the trailer may include a female member into which the post can be inserted. Alternatively the body 32 may be pivotable about the base 38 such that it is able to be folded down when not in use.

As the reader will now appreciate the hinged posts 10 can be used to form enclosure of different diameters and shapes. As illustrated in FIG. 11 the hinged posts 10 can be used to form an elongated rectangular enclosure within a dual axle trailer 86.

It will now be appreciated that the opposing channels 34 and 36 of the hinged post 10 can be positioned between 90-180° such that the posts could be used to form different polygon shaped cages, such as but not limited to, a hexagon, octagon or pentagon. The invention enables a user to construct a cage 20 of any desired size by simply cutting the sheet material to a suitable length and width and securing it between adjacent posts 10.

Although the posts can be fixed to the trailer by way of bolts it should be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this particular embodiment. For instance magnets or clips could be used to secure the posts within a trailer or tray top of a vehicle. Furthermore, although in the preferred embodiment an arm slidably engages the body it should be appreciated that the posts in their simplest form could be a telescopic body portion which is able to be attached to a surface, such as a trailer, wherein the body is adapted to securely engage the walls.

The skilled addressee will now appreciate the many advantages of the present invention. The posts 10 provide a structural member for forming a cage which can be used in a variety of situations. For instance the posts 10 can be installed onto trailers irrespective of their size. Furthermore, the posts 10 can accommodate walls of various heights.

Further advantages and improvements may very well be made to the present invention without deviating from its scope. Although the invention has been shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope and spirit of the invention.

In any of the claims that follow and in the summary of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word “comprising” is used in the sense of “including”, i.e. the features specified may be associated with further features in various embodiments of the invention. 

1. A post assembly for use in the construction of an enclosure, including: a body portion having a longitudinally extending axis; and an arm, adapted to engage the body portion, movable along said longitudinally extending axis; wherein the post assembly is adapted to releasably engage at least one wall portion such that the wall portion is held in a substantially upright position.
 2. The post assembly according to claim 1 wherein the arm slidably engages the body portion.
 3. The post assembly according to claim 1 wherein the body portion includes a passageway adapted to accommodate the arm.
 4. The post assembly according to claim 1 wherein the body portion includes a base plate.
 5. The post assembly according to claim 4 wherein the base plate includes an attachment means adapted to facilitate the attachment of the post assembly to a surface on which the enclosure is mounted.
 6. The post assembly according to claim 1 wherein the body portion includes engagement means for facilitating the attachment of the wall portions thereto.
 7. The post assembly accordingly to claim 1 wherein the body portion includes two longitudinally extending channels into which the walls portions are mounted.
 8. The post assembly according to claim 7 wherein the channels include apertures to facilitate the securing of the wall portions within the channels.
 9. The post assembly according to claim 1 wherein a free end of the arm includes a cap.
 10. The post assembly according to claim 9 wherein the cap includes at least one flange adapted to engage the upper extremity of the wall portions.
 11. The post assembly according to claim 10 wherein the at least one flange includes attachment means adapted to facilitate the securing of the wall portions thereto.
 12. The post assembly according to claim 10 wherein the at least one flange includes attachment means adapted to facilitate the securing of a roof thereto.
 13. The post assembly according to claim 1 wherein the post includes a locking means adapted to retain the arm in a fixed arrangement with respect to the body portion.
 14. A post assembly for use in the construction of an enclosure, including: a first longitudinally extending body portion having at least one passageway; a second longitudinally extending body portion having at least one passageway; and an arm adapted to engage coaxially aligned passageways of respective first and second longitudinally extending body portions; wherein the post assembly is adapted to releasably engage adjacent wall portions such that the wall portions are held in a substantially upright position.
 15. The post assembly according to claim 14 wherein the first and second longitudinally extending body portions are adapted to hingeably engage each other around an axis which corresponds to the coaxially aligned passageways.
 16. The post assembly according to claim 14 wherein the arm is a longitudinally extending shaft which is adapted to slidably engage the coaxially aligned passageways of the first and second longitudinally extending body portions.
 17. The post assembly according to claim 16 wherein the first and second longitudinally extending body portions are adapted to pivot around a shaft having a circular cross-section.
 18. The post assembly according to claim 14 wherein the first and second longitudinally extending body portions include corresponding outwardly extending first and second channels adapted to accommodate adjacent wall portions.
 19. The post assembly according to claim 18 wherein the first and second longitudinally extending body portions are movable between a first position, wherein an opening of the first channel is substantially perpendicular to the opening of the second channel, and a second position wherein an opening of the first and second channels are substantially parallel and opposing.
 20. The post assembly according to claim 14 wherein a free end of the arm includes two independent flange portions.
 21. The post assembly according to claim 20 wherein the two independent flange portions are adapted to rotate with respect to the arm. 22-24. (canceled) 